Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane of high school and college students' existence. It seems that no matter how hard you work to stay caught up, there is always a paper due tomorrow. Using book notes to help get the ideas flowing can save you time, heartache, and the stress of getting a bad grade.
There are many styles and formats available now, but a book note typically includes a summary of a literary work, commentary on the subject matter and deeper meaning of the passages, and biographical information about the author. The best book notes are written by qualified people (i.e. a college degree in literature, or in the academic area the book note is covering). Most importantly, the book note you choose should be easy for you to use ? after all, if the information is just as difficult to find in the book note as it is in the book, what's the point?
Book notes can help you out with more than just book reports. They provide valuable information you can use to write a paper about an author, philosopher, society, or culture. Let's say you had to write a paper about nineteenth century Russian culture. You gather together a lot of information about what was going on politically, what kind of figures were popular, what the economy was like, etc. Imagine the authenticity you could add to your essay by including even a small part about Leo Tolstoy, a prominent Russian author from the nineteenth century.
Providing information connected to a specific person makes the essay much more enjoyable to read, and showcases your ability to provide breadth and depth of research. Naturally, it is not necessary for you to read all of Tolstoy's works to know enough about him to include a piece in your essay. A book note on one of his masterpieces will usually contain enough information for you to apply what you learn to your more general topic.
The most important thing to remember about using book notes is they are not intended to be substitutes for reading the real book. You will miss out on the opportunity to read some of the greatest works of literature if you only read their book notes. Try reading the book note chapter by chapter after you read that chapter in the book. This helps confirm the ideas you come up with on your own, and will point out new ideas while the reading is still fresh in your mind.
Alternatively, you could also try reading the summary of each chapter before reading the chapter in the book. This will help direct your reading to find the things that are most important in each chapter, and will help you find new ideas that either agree or disagree with the ideas discussed in the book note.
When you sit down to write your paper, having already gone over the reading and the summary, you will have an arsenal of ideas on which you can rely to start writing the paper. Very rarely will you receive an essay assignment that is answered perfectly by the information in the book note, so you'll have to pour some of your own thoughts into your paper.
The best things in life are not always free, but there are a lot of free resources available now online. The three best places I have found for book notes are SparkNotes.com, CliffNotes.com, and PinkMonkey.com. They each have their own advantages and disadvantages, so try each one out until you find the one that works best with your style.
Nick Smith is a client account specialist with 10x marketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For software that lets you organize and annotate your 10x marketing, check out 10x marketing.
pet-friendly home cleaners Buffalo Grove ...One of the nice things about being an author is... Read More
Proofreading worksheets are a great tool to help individuals open... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
I asked several writers how long it took them to... Read More
Remember back in the dark days of your school years... Read More
Word processors are so widely used now that I tend... Read More
Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer... Read More
The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide.... Read More
Not all writers write good grammar. That's a fact. It's... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
What is a freelance grant writer? These individuals have a... Read More
One of the most common weaknesses I see in day-to-day... Read More
Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sketchandtravel and bookpleasures is honored... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
When I first started tracking the information preferences of people... Read More
This article is to help identify which style, technique or... Read More
First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs... Read More
One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More
Every part of your book can be a sales tool.... Read More
[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More
Sometimes I can be dense when it comes to realizing... Read More
Rejection. This scary word plagues virtually every writer this side... Read More
1. PLAY A GAME LIKE SOLITAIRE....for half an hour or... Read More
I'm willing to bet that quite a number of you... Read More
May I tell you about a writing technique shared by... Read More
affordable house cleaning Bannockburn ...If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult... Read More
Great writing transports one vicariously to realms that the reader... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing... Read More
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More
What is a prologue? When should you use one? Should... Read More
The Hottest Word on the WebDid you know marketing people... Read More
Want to write a how-to article but can't come up... Read More
Whenever you sit down to plot a story (or even... Read More
Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More
I started writing as a way of keeping safe memories... Read More
If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More
Despite the widespread use of e-mail in commerce today, traditional... Read More
The first and final rule of quality writing is this:... Read More
Congratulations on writing your first book. That is quite an... Read More
(excerpted from the "How to Use a Journal" audio series... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
In order to be successful with a newsletter, specialize in... Read More
Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibilityYou're probably already... Read More
If you become a writer for any publication, private business,... Read More
First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs... Read More
If you are looking for copywriter books, you'll want to... Read More
You have just completed a draft of an article. It... Read More
Writing |